


Exodus Down

by tableturret



Series: Fireteam Fruitloops [3]
Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-21
Updated: 2019-08-21
Packaged: 2020-09-23 05:23:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,412
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20334769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tableturret/pseuds/tableturret
Summary: The Exodus Black is overrun by Fallen. Cayde calls in Hunter Seida-9 to drag the reclusive Kevin-0 out of hiding. Can she keep the fireteam from falling apart, and save Failsafe from those darn scavengers?





	1. Tech Hermit Crab

Seida stumbled out of her jumpship and into a small group of shrubs. Not her most elegant drop, but with all the interference in the area, it was the best she could do. She summoned Astrophel for the map, but that too was full of static and barely legible. Seida sighed and pulled out a paper version from her pouch. The way the floor sloped, the way the mountains jutted out around her formed a perfect radio dead zone. Whoever chose this spot to _ live _ didn’t want to be found. 

“Judging from the slope of the floor, we’re about here, in this part,” Astrophel said, tapping the map with one of his corners. Seida nodded, pulling a pencil from its holder on her left arm and marking the spot. 

“We need to search within this two-and-a-half kilometer radius, then.” 

“Isn’t that Fallen territory? Our radar isn’t going to work here.”

“Don’t worry, Astro. One good thing about that? They can’t see us either.”

Her Ghost nodded and flew back into her pack. Seida crouched low, her cloak resting on the ground. Much to her disdain, the shrub pile was also a Fallen refuse pile. Freshly scorched trails led away from the junk heap and down a dusty road. It was pure luck she wasn’t spotted on her landing. With one last glance at her map, she crept out of the shrubs. 

Fallen were efficient creatures. She didn't have much time. Hand cannon drawn, she started up the path towards the mountains.

* * *

“Kevin?” Seida asked, arms crossed.

Cayde nodded. “Yeah, Kevin. He’s speedy, efficient, great with machines. Failsafe will love him.” 

“Okay.” She glanced around. “So where is he?” 

“That’s the only problem. He’s not really a people person, you know?” 

“Right,” Seida replied, head tilted. “So how can I find him?” 

Cayde walked over to a map tacked onto his station. “North America” was scrawled across the top. He took the magnifying glass and pulled it over to the midwest section. 

“That big of an area, huh?”

“Sorry, Sunshine. That's the closest I can get you.” 

“Oh fun.” Seida laughed dryly. “When I get him, I’ll head over to Nessus. Hopefully Failsafe doesn’t zap us to ashes when we get there.”

“Don’t worry about that,” he said with a chuckle. “I’ve got it on good authority that she’ll let you save her, at least.”

“Sounds good. Catch you later, Cayde.”

Halfway up the stairs he called her name again.

“Yes?”

“Be uh, careful, with Kevin okay? I really mean it when I say he’s not a people person.”

* * *

Something tripped the sensors. Kevin scanned the twenty screens before him. 

“Another Guardian?” Kevin mumbled to himself. “It better not be Cayde again.” 

He looked over at Cobalt, hovering stiffly, staring at the monitor showing a female Hunter traversing the road. 

“I hope you don’t intend on following her around,” Cobalt said. “Right?” 

Kevin turned and headed for the door, snatching the D.A.R.C.I. from the nearby table. “You bet I intend on following her. A new Guardian in my territory is unusual and I plan on finding out what she’s up to.” 

Cobalt mumbled something unintelligible and followed close behind.

* * *

Seida continued forward, keeping to the edge of the road. She didn’t like the terrain here. Shrubs offered little cover compared to the forests of Germany. Up ahead, a group of Pikes still wafted heat. No riders. 

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” she muttered. She pushed on anyway.

Loose rocks skittered down to the left of her and she whipped around to face the noise. Sure enough, four Pike riders. Two of them fell easily to her gun, but the others managed to scamper away. She swore under her breath.

“Seida! Your six! Your twelve! Two o’clock?!” Astrophel called from her pack. 

No radar needed for all the noise the Fallen were making. Seida sighed and reloaded her gun. 

“So much for sneaking in,” she said. “Keep your head down, Astro.” 

Gunfire rang out, the Fallen with their energy blasts, Seida with her bullets. She threw her knife at a group of Dregs before dashing further up the road. At least she could outrun the bigger guys. Her Ghost made a worried noise.

“It’s okay, as long as we don’t see a Captain, we should be—nevermind.” 

Up ahead, a pair of Captains jogged into view. Seida swore under her breath. 

She sprinted across some low shrubs, running parallel to the path. Maybe she could lose them in that old building up ahead. If anything, it was some cover.

She was met with a closed door. A locked door. A ways behind her, something shimmered in the hills. Marauders? 

“I don’t have time for this!” Seida growled, kicking the door. It wouldn’t move. She kicked it again, more for effect than actual damage. Behind her, the Fallen Captain and his Vandals were closing in, sprinting on all fours….sixes? Seida kicked the door again, only to have it swing wide open before her foot made contact.

She stumbled but caught herself. Standing in the doorway was a rough-looking Exo Hunter, scowling at her as if she’d disturbed him from something important. 

“Why are you banging on the door?” He asked, folding his arms. He glanced behind her and noticed the Fallen closing in. His eyes got wide and his arms reached up and grabbed the sides of his head. “You brought them to my doorstep?!”

“No time! Let me in!” Seida shoved her way past him. “Close the damn door!” 

He slammed the door, and twisted a large circular handle, pushing three deadbolts through the wall. The Fallen troops thudded against its surface. 

He sighed and shook his head. “Do you even know the meaning of stealth? Now I’ll have to move!” He rushed into the room. 

It wasn’t exceptionally large. The only light came from several screens casting a bright glow across the room. Along both walls were multiple tables, each one butted up against the other, crowded with a large array of metal, boxes, and tools. There was one table that sat directly next to the screens that was neatly organized.

“This is ridiculous,” the strange Hunter mumbled. “Some random Guardian shows up out of the blue, and decides she can just come stomping around making a huge racket, and then reveal my location to the local Fallen troops. BRILLIANT!” He picked up tools and pieces of equipment and tossed them into a bag. 

“Hey.” A Ghost floated out from behind the screens and looked Seida up and down. “She doesn’t look that _ bad _.”

“Her performance would suggest otherwise.”

Seida crossed her arms, eyes narrowed.

“Don’t listen to him,” The Ghost said, “He’s a bit—”

The Hunter cut him off. “Cobalt, do not speak with the intruder. It’s against protocol.”

“What protocol?” The Ghost replied. 

“The one I just made.” 

Cobalt sighed. “You failed to inform me of this.” 

“The intruder would’ve heard me.” 

“But I can’t read your mind.” Cobalt looked back at Seida. “That’s Kevin.” 

He waited for her to say something. She just stared at him with the same somewhat annoyed expression. 

The Ghost shook his head. “He’s a bit rough around the edges.” 

“You’re revealing too much, Cobalt. Stop giving the intruder information and help me pack. We’ll have to escape faster than expected.” Kevin glanced around at the mess of the tables longingly. “All this Golden Age tech, wasted.” He shot a glare at Seida and went back to packing things into bags. Cobalt glanced over to Seida again. 

“Oh,” she put her hands on her hips. “Is it finally my turn to talk?”

No response.

“Good. Cayde sent me. We need you for a Strike on Nessus.”

The grumpy Exo mumbled something. Seida turned to his Ghost instead. 

“Cobalt, was it?”

He nodded. Seida summoned her own Ghost. “This is Astrophel. Astro, brief him on the mission, will you?” 

“Don’t bother. We’re not going,” Kevin called from one of his desks. “I’m too busy fixing your incompetence as a Hunter to help anyone, let alone Cayde.” 

What a grump. Seida double-checked Better Devils and Uriel’s Gift before turning back towards the door. “I think I can remedy your problem. Cobalt, be a dear and get the door for me?” 

The Ghost hesitated, looking to his Guardian. Kevin made himself busy with more packing. Cobalt looked back to Seida.

“Don’t worry. It’ll be quick. I promise.” A small spark gathered around her right hand. Cobalt quickly realized what it was and, alarmed, flew towards the door. The sparks lit up into an orange flame that spread from her hand and out beyond her fingertips. The deadbolts on the door turned.

The moment light pierced the gloom inside of Kevin’s shed, Seida lifted her arm to the air. A flash of solar energy surrounded her as she called upon her Light. Flames burned over her armor as a golden hand cannon materialized in her grasp.

BANG went the first shot. The Captain stumbled backwards, a flaming hole in his chest. The Marauders hissed at her, narrowing their blue eyes. Seida stepped out onto the dirt. Each step was another shot. Fallen bodies hit the floor. As soon as the gun dissipated into the air, Better Devils was in her hand. The Dregs scampering away had no time to run.

She spun the pistol around her finger once before letting it rest in the magnetic holster at her hip. Kevin stepped outside, inspecting the aftermath. There was a moment of surprise, quickly overtaken by annoyance.

“Brilliant. They’re all dead. As soon as their scouts, no, as soon as their _ Captain _ s fail to report back, they’re _ definitely _swarming this entire area next!”

Seida pinched the bridge between her eyes. No wonder Cayde sent her instead of contacting Kevin directly.

“Look. You’re good with tech, right?”

Kevin narrowed his eyes at her. “Yes? What of it?”

“I’ve got some Cabal voice fragments. Help me hack into their recording devices. We’ll make it seem like they got decimated by the Red Legion. Then, you’re coming with me to Nessus.”

Kevin made no comment. He walked back inside the shed, set the bag down, and picked up his guns.

Cobalt looked to Seida. “That last bit impressed him,” he said as an aside to her, “but his pride gets in the way of him saying so.”

“I’m just glad he’s actually listening to me.”

“Yes,” Cobalt replied. “I’m glad too.”


	2. Disgruntled Noises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Moving along the Exodus Crash Site, the bickering has yet to stop. Kevin sees an opportunity, but will it ruin the mission for everyone?

They landed in Prodromus Down, a section of the Nessus centaur littered with Exodus Black pieces. A Warlock waited there. She wrung her hands absentmindedly, turning only when Seida tapped her on the shoulder.

“Pyrrha,” Seida said. “Thanks for waiting for us. We’re finally all set. This is Kevin.”

Pyrrha extended her hand out to him. He grunted in her direction. Seida stopped herself from rolling her eyes.

“Hello everyone.” Cayde’s voice crackled over the comms. “Sounds like a party! So glad of you to join us, Kevin.”

Cobalt made a sound like he was clearing his throat. Cayde got the hint.

“Ah. Anyways. The Fallen have cracked open the the Exodus Black. Failsafe’s on the edge, Zavala’s cranky. Meanwhile I’m over here thinking about how much Golden Age tech might be in there. It’s go time!”

Failsafe spoke next. “I appreciate your concern, Cayde unit. Thank you, Temporary Captains. I’ve marked a trail of Arc pulses on your maps to denote their movement.”

“Guardians,” Zavala chimed in. They were required to keep an open Vanguard channel, after all. “Operation Piccolo is yours.”

“Piccolo?” Astrophel asked. Pyrrha giggled.

“Let Zavala have his thing,” Seida said, projecting the map onto the floor. “Here's the plan: divide and conquer. We each take a route and meet up at the energy gate. There are a lot of Fallen here, but I sense the Vex will have set up shop too. You heard Cayde: there’s Golden Age tech here. From the gate, we’ll take it as we go.”

Kevin sprinted off with Cobalt at the phrase “Golden Age Tech.” Pyrrha gave Seida a salute before summoning her Sparrow and leaving. Astrophel glanced at his Guardian.

“Did he just—”

“—take off running?” Seida finished, summoning her own Sparrow. “Yeah, but Cayde did say he was fast.”

Sure enough, the grumpy Hunter was already halfway to the first Arc pulse. Seida shrugged and ushered her Ghost back into her pack. As long as he listened to her as the team leader, she wouldn’t complain.

* * *

Kevin ran at a dead sprint, Solemn Hymn gripped in his hands as he dodged to the side, avoiding fire from Fallen troops up ahead. He quickly turned **_invisible_** and jumped into the air, swapping his auto rifle for his hand cannon, and taking 3 quick shots—each one eliminating a Dreg.

He hit the ground running, slashing a Vandal with his knife as he passed by.

“You’re moving faster than usual,” Cobalt said from Kevin’s bag.

“I’m still not convinced that Seida’s plan with the Cabal voice recordings worked. I want to get back to base so we can move locations.” Kevin spoke and shot at the same time, not even breaking a sweat—not that he could sweat anyway.

“I’m sure it’s fine,” Cobalt replied.

“You put too much faith in strangers.” Kevin let off another volley of rounds, taking down four more Dregs as he ran.

He approached the first arc pulse on his HUD and stopped for a moment, before another popped up farther ahead.

“I hope the A.I. doesn’t intend on having us chase these the whole time,” Kevin mumbled.

He continued to lay waste to the Fallen in his lane, and pick up the Arc pulses. He paused as he saw a Captain up ahead.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Cobalt said, “but we should probably keep moving. You could just run right by them.”

“Or,” Kevin switched to his auto rifle and began to empty his magazine into the Captain’s shield. “We could have a little fun.”

* * *

Pyrrha lost count of how many Sparrows she'd summoned, how many of them became giant, flaming bullets as she rammed into group after group of Fallen. They burned so brightly as she floated down from each explosion.

“I can't analyze the Arc pulses if you keep dying,” Hecate the Ghost called from her pack. “You're making really pretty fires but remember the mission, okay?”

“Don't worry,” the Warlock replied, dusting off her robe. “We're having fun _and _doing work. Look how close to the gate we are!”

Sure enough, at the crest of the next hill was the energy gate. It shimmered and rippled as only Vex tech could. Around it, a Minotaur and a cluster of Goblins advanced towards Fallen Shanks and Dregs.

But Pyrrha forgot to check in front of her.

Searing, electric pain shot up her leg and to her heart. For a split second there was realization, swiftly overtaken by the roar of four Fanatics exploding. Somehow, she sustained the blow. Pulling on her Light, she summoned a Rift at her feet.

Hecate worked in tandem to heal her. “Please be more careful, Pyrrha,” she squeaked. Pyrrha just laughed and reloaded Nightshade. Once the last dregs of pain left her system, the Warlock dashed forward again. Her shots hit their mark, the pulse rifle bullets tearing into Fallen and Vex alike.

“Arc pulse analysis at seventy-five percent,” Hecate said. Pyrrha grinned behind her helmet.

* * *

Seida left her Sparrow at the base of the hill, crouching in the red foliage. The Fallen were thankfully busy fighting the Vex in the area.

“How’s the analysis coming along, Astro?”

“Almost got it,” he said. “Just need one more—watch out!”

The Exo Hunter looked up just in time to see a flaming metal chunk spiraling through the air towards her. She rolled out of the way. It hit the ground and bounced off into the back of a Minotaur, severely damaging its left leg. She glanced behind her.

Pyrrha waved from down the road, jogging up to meet her. “Sorry,” she said, rubbing the back of her head. “That one wasn’t aimed at you, promise.”

Before Seida could reply, Kevin de-cloaked behind her, firing several shots into the enemies at the gate.

“That Minotaur isn’t dead yet! Pay attention!”

Pyrrha leapt into the air. “Eat the sun!” She shouted. A small, flaming orb flew from her hand and grew into a giant ball of Solar energy as it hit the floor. Seida and Kevin rolled out of the way. Seida could feel the heat on her back as Fallen screeched, as Vex exploded. When she turned, not a single body lay before them.

“All done! I think I can take down that energy gate,” Astrophel chirped, much too cheery for the slaughter they just witnessed. He flew out of Seida’s pack. “Oh. I forgot how much damage Pyrrha could do.”

“How did you know that wouldn’t kill us?!” Kevin shouted. The Warlock crossed her arms.

“I just saved our butts, okay?”

He shook his head. “Still doesn’t negate the fact that we could all be ash right now!”

“Hey,” Cayde called from the comms. “Play nice kids.”

Zavala also spoke. “As you know, a good fireteam works together—”

“Boop!” Failsafe interrupted. “Sorry Temporary Captains.”

Another voice continued. “I cut the Vanguard link. There’s a buzzing in my brain. I think the Fallen are ripping up my ship. It really hurts.”

Seida glanced to Pyrrha, who shrugged.

Hecate asked, “Uh, Failsafe, is that still you?”

“Yeah. Still me.”

Kevin scoffed. “Don’t you know how an A.I. Personality Matrix can degrade with time? Develop quirks?”

“Save it for later,” Seida snapped. “You heard Failsafe. We need to keep moving.”

A uncomfortable, yet steady silence fell over the group.

Kevin felt conflicted. When he heard Seida say “Golden Age A.I.” he was intrigued, maybe a little excited. Enough to get him to leave his base, anyhow.

Now all he felt was annoyance. Annoyance at the Vanguard for revealing his position. Annoyance at Seida for stomping over his home. Annoyance for this crazy Warlock that probably caused more than her fair share of property damage. He just wanted to go home.

The trio walked into a large, walled-off area surrounding what seemed to be a tall spike with metal plates and boxes attached to it. Another energy gate blocked their way.

“Is that an Arc conductor?” Cobalt asked.

Kevin didn’t respond. Instead he approached the conductor and brushed a hand over the console. “Cobalt, care to handle this?”

“Gladly.” The Ghost flew out from Kevin’s bag and examined the Arc conductor. “This seems fairly simple. Give me a minute and I’ll have the gate open so we can move on.”

Cobalt hovered around the console, a beam of light occasionally connecting him to the conductor.

“That is Exodus Tech, Temporary Captains,” Failsafe said, using her cheerful voice this time. “Part of my sensor systems! If you care about your Ghost, keep Arc energy away from that machine.”

As if on queue, several Overcharge Shanks funneled into the room from spaces between the walls, Arc energy skittering across their forms. Pyrrha readied another Solar Grenade but Seida motioned for her to stop. The Hunter nodded to the floor. Several power lines led from the conductor to the gate.

“Guns only, this time. Mind your shots.”

Seida didn’t like Kevin, but she did like his Ghost. Cobalt tried, at least. His Guardian though? She wondered what it would look like to see him try.

Kevin reloaded his hand cannon, and within moments already emptied the magazine, all ten shots.

“Ow!” Cobalt exclaimed, panic tingeing his voice. “There’s a Shank on the line, someone help.”

Kevin looked over and saw that Pyrrha had let one slip by. He took aim but the Warlock’s gun took it out instead.

“Thank you,” Cobalt said before getting back to work. “Almost done.”

Kevin glared at Pyrrha. “Watch it Warlock! That’s my Ghost being hurt.”

“Sorry Cobalt!” She called over. Vex started to teleport in, and she was busy with a swarm of Fanatics. Seida muttered something about frying pans and fire before dispatching a few Goblins. Kevin was about to snap back before deciding against it.

“Less attitude and more shooting please!” Seida said. Better Devils was running low, so she switched to Uriel’s Gift. “Cobalt, status!”

“Done,” the Ghost replied. “I’ve set it on a timer. We need to hurry while it's open.”

Seida motioned for her fireteam to move. Kevin sprinted off first, followed closely by Pyrrha. Seida covered the rear, running backwards and firing a few more shots into the Vex-Fallen mess before the energy gate closed behind them.

“Failsafe,” Cobalt said, “those Shanks were using your circuits as weapons against the Vex.”

“The Fallen are worse than the Cayde-6,” Failsafe replied.

“That’s debatable,” Kevin mumbled. Seida shot him a look. He ignored it.

They moved along the path that led them to another downed section of the Exodus Black. Fallen were spread out along the rocky terrain, guns ready for the small group of Guardians trespassing.

“Temporary Captains, have you located those Fallen?” Failsafe asked.

“We've killed a lot of Fallen already,” Hecate replied. “But not the ones wrecking your ship.”

“Not pressing,” the A.I. continued in her happy tone. “But I can feel them. Ripping things out. Fusing Circuits.”

Kevin groaned. He had hoped to at least see some _untouched_ Golden Age tech on this Strike.

“The Fallen are monsters,” he declared.

“That we can agree on,” Pyrrha replied, firing her gun with increased vigor. “Can't keep their grubby claws off of anything that isn't theirs!”

“I've detected more Arc pulses, Failsafe!” Astrophel said over the comms. “We’re going to find them soon, I promise.”

Kevin was a good ten meters ahead, still sprinting even under fire.

“Uh, aren’t we a bit far from our team?” Cobalt asked. Kevin shook his head, shooting a Dreg that got too close.

“They’ll be fine. I’m done with finding Arc pulses like this. See if you can locate the Fallen directly.”

Cobalt sighed. “Running a pulse simulator now.”


	3. Trial By Fire (Arc?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kevin's run off, much to Seida's chagrin. Can the crabby hermit defeat Thaviks by himself?

“Alright! Analysis completed,” Astrophel said. Hecate bobbed up and down.

“We know where the Fallen are, Failsafe! Cobalt, you’re going home soon.”

Silence.

“Cobalt?” Hecate called again. Seida glanced at her HUD, searching for Kevin’s signal. It was very faint, and very far. She groaned. Pyrrha put her hand on the Hunter’s shoulder.

“At least he’s going in the right direction,” the Warlock said.

Seida nodded and summoned her Sparrow. “Let’s hope he doesn’t get himself killed.”

* * *

The first part was easy enough. Kevin snuck through the midsection of the Exodus Black with little opposition. The Fallen and Vex were too busy battling each other for the space in between the spaceship chunks to notice a lone Guardian traversing the sidelines on foot.

The next part was also simple. A giant Fallen Walker and a Vex Gatekeeper? Too big to notice him. Stealth was his style: fast, efficient. Nothing like the explosions that Warlock was constantly causing.

When he reached the area marked EX-077 Command, he almost laughed. The Fallen were trying to hide in the dark.

But now, now was interesting. He traversed the dark room, climbing up to an opening above a large area lit by natural light. The Fallen created a massive dome in what seemed like the Engineering Deck. At each vertex of the octagon-shaped floor stood massive Arc conductors. Shanks lazily hovered around each of them, sparking with Arc energy. The floor underneath them buzzed with the same intensity.

No wonder the A.I. was bugging out. This much Arc energy wasn’t good for anything.

It seemed like the Shanks were interfacing with the conductors somehow. Kevin pulled out his knife and took aim. If he limited the damage on this one, he could research it later.

The Shank went down easily. The others seemed to glance around, trying to find the source. Kevin pulled out Better Devils and took them out. The Arc energy on the floor receded, creating a safe spot on the metal. Kevin landed lightly next to the downed Shank.

“Cobalt, transmat this to the secondary base.”

The Ghost nodded and scanned the deactivated bot. It dematerialized within seconds. Kevin turned to leave.

Suddenly, there was a flash on the radar.

He readied Solemn Hymn, scanned the area with his eyes. Nothing except the crackling Arc conductors. Still, something definitely tripped his sensors.

The air shimmered behind him. He heard the footfalls. A giant sword slashed at him and he ducked just in time.

Before him stood a large Fallen. Cobalt quickly disappeared into Kevin’s backpack. The Hunter backpedaled and shot with his rifle, laying down a smoke grenade at his feet. Two could play the stealth game.

What he didn't account for was more Shanks. More Arc energy. It surged through his legs, gluing his joints together. He fought against the current, pulling his gun around and firing at the nearest Shanks. The floor finally let him go and he dashed as far away as he could.

He glanced back at the Fallen. His HUD identified him as a Marauder of the House of Dusk, “Thaviks the Depraved.” In an instant, the alien disappeared again.

Fallen troops came pouring into the arena-like area. Dregs, Vandals, Marauders alike. Shanks dropped in over the Arc conductors again.

Mistakes were made.

Kevin wouldn’t admit it out loud, but Cobalt could feel the tension in his Guardian’s movements. The Hunter shot and stabbed whatever he could. Thaviks just kept calling more reinforcements.

The slashes and gunshot wounds multiplied on Kevin’s body. There was no pain, but a severe slowing effect on his movements. Cobalt worked as fast as he could to knit together the small holes. While he could handle such a hoard by his home, the combination of cloaked troops and Arc-charged floors proved difficult. It was fine if he died, but he worried about Cobalt. With this many foes, resurrection would be dangerous. He might have to lie dead until they scampered away.

Thaviks appeared behind him again. Why was this damn Fallen so good at doing that? Nobody should be able to do that to him. The sword connected with his back, and the force flung him forward. He clattered to the edge of the octagon, gun a few feet away from him.

“Cobalt, what are you doing,” Kevin asked. There was a strain in his voice as he tried to reach his gun.

“I'm boosting your signal.”

“You're calling for help?”

“Yes.”

Kevin groaned. His fingers grazed the handle of his rifle. He could feel Thaviks closing in on him.

A flash of light, bright as a small star, caught his peripheral. Thaviks hissed as the smell of burning flesh filled the air. The Marauder cloaked immediately.

The Shanks around Kevin fell. Seida’s boots entered his vision.

“You look like hell, Hunter.”

Kevin could hear Pyrrha yelling somewhere behind him, her flaming punches probably landing on some poor Vandal. Seida extended a hand to him. He hesitated, but took it.

“I didn't need your help,” he snapped at her. She jabbed a finger in his direction.

“There is no ‘I’ in ‘team,’ Kevin! This is why we attempt Strikes in groups!”

She ducked to dodge a Marauder’s spear, twisting to stab him in the face. As the body fell she turned to Kevin again.

“Just like you're done with us, I'm done taking your negativity. Get healed up, and let's take this guy down.  _ Together. _ ”

She checked around the area before rushing off to support Pyrrha. Cobalt chuckled.

“It's not funny,” Kevin growled. His Ghost didn't respond. Slowly he could feel his body fix itself. He scooped up his gun from the ground.

“Here's the plan,” Seida called over the comms. She was behind a crate on the far side of the arena. Pyrrha leapt backwards, away from two Servitors who teleported in.

“Pyrrha, blow up those Shanks. Kevin, get the Servitors. I'll provide cover fire for you all. When the big guy comes back, let me know immediately. I've got six shots that would love to meet him.”

Gunfire rang out as the team went with their divide-and-conquer plan. When Thaviks came around again, Seida unleashed Golden gun into his chest. Blood and Ether leaked off of the hulking Marauder, but he was still standing. He cloaked again.

“Damn it,” Seida said, switching to Uriel’s Gift. “Lost him again!”

“No,” Kevin called from behind cover. “He's bleeding!”

Seida smiled behind her helmet. “Follow the trail! Kevin, shoot him down! Pyrrha, crowd control!”

Pyrrha leapt high up. Wings of fire erupted from her back as she drew a blazing, golden sword from the air. As she swung, great arcs of flames shot from her blade, incinerating the Fallen troops below. Seida threw her grenade at the Marauders closing in behind Kevin. Small drones that shone like orange stars flew in and blew them apart.

Kevin followed the blue trail with his eyes. A puddle was forming ten meters away and he glanced towards the ceiling. He saw it. The telltale shimmer of Fallen cloaking tech.

A purple light formed in his left hand, growing to form the curve of a bow. He pulled back with his right, an arrow and string of the same make materializing as he moved. Jumping into the air, he fired his shot.

The arrow zipped through the air, landing deep within Thaviks. Void Light burst from him as the arrow transformed into an orb, tendrils grasping onto his form. There was a mighty shout as he struggled to keep his grip on the ceiling. His cloaking device fizzled as he fell to the ground, his body landing with a thud. The remaining Fallen hissed and scampered away.

Kevin exhaled without thinking. He didn't need to breathe and yet, the instinct overtook him. A strange feeling of nostalgia. Seida walked up to him and clapped him on the back. He flinched and immediately stepped away. She tilted her head for a moment and then shrugged it off.

“Did we do it?” Pyrrha asked. Seida nodded.

“Looks like it.”

“Not quite,” Kevin said, walking over to the nearest Arc conductor. “We still need to deactivate these things.”

Seida walked up to join him, looking the conductor up and down. “What do you mean? It looks like part of the ship.”

Kevin shook his head, pointing to the metal. “You see welding here and the weird smears here?”

Seida glanced at him. Kevin made an annoyed sound.

“Nevermind. It's too complicated for you to understand.”

The other Hunter nodded. “Yep. That's why we have you on our team.”

Kevin paused. Did she know that was meant to be insulting? Seida moved to pat him on the back, but stopped. She gave him a double thumbs up instead.

“I'll leave you to it, Kevin,” she said before walking off.

Cobalt materialized next to Kevin. “See. She isn't that bad.”

Kevin shot his Ghost a glare before turning his attention to the conductors.

* * *

The Arc energy faded from the last conductor. Kevin dusted off his hands.

“System congestion has cleared,” Failsafe announced over the comms. “Diagnostics reports suggest I have returned to a normal rate of function.”

“Glad to hear. We've cleared the Fallen from your engineering deck,” Pyrrha said.

“Kevin even put more sensors for you here,” Cobalt said. “Can you interface with them?”

“Accessing new sensor array in EX-077 Command. Access successful. Integrating with current sensor network. Integration successful. Thank you, Temporary Captain. This is a very nice gift.”

Seida glanced over to Kevin. A gift? He gave Failsafe a gift? She chuckled to herself. Perhaps he’s not as selfish as he seems.

“Good work, guys,” Cayde said. “See the beauty of teamwork, Kevin?”

Kevin twitched. Seida made a throat-clearing noise.

“Right. Anyways! Find any Golden Age ray guns?”

“No,” Kevin said, arms crossed. “Can I leave now?”

“Yes, Hunter,” Zavala joined in. “Well done, Guardians. This is a significant victory against the Fallen.”

Kevin gave Seida one last look before he transmatted away. She leaned her arm on Pyrrha’s shoulder.

“He’s so mean. And weird,” the Warlock said. Seida nodded.

“Yeah. But I think we can deal with that. Right, Astro?”

Astrophel chittered. “You already deal with ‘weird’ when you hang out with Cayde.”

Pyrrha giggled. Seida laughed.

“Let’s go. Ramen and drinks are on me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Solemn Hymn and Uriel's Gift were good weapons when I wrote this, lol. I miss vanilla Crucible, just a little.

**Author's Note:**

> Kevin-0 is my friend's Guardian; Pyrrha is another friend's. Seida-9 is my main Guardian. Started out as a character study for Kevin, ended up being the entire Exodus Strike. Thanks for reading!


End file.
